


The Clone

by MoltenLava



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: M/M, Maybe I reflected Hisoka's canon behavior too much, Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Some descriptions may feel creepy because Hisoka is being Hisoka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 08:19:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17577251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoltenLava/pseuds/MoltenLava
Summary: When Hisoka came home, two Illumis were waiting for him. One was the Illumi he knew but the other was a fifteen-year old Illumi Zoldyck. One-shot.





	The Clone

When Hisoka came home, there were two Illumis in the living room. Illumi with longer hair nodded at him.

 

“Good evening, Hisoka.”

 

HIsoka put down a bag and took his shoes off as he tried to figure out what kind of situation he currently was in. The first thought that came to his mind was that this was some weird trap. Maybe he got caught in someone’s nen as soon as he walked into the apartment. The more familiar Illumi assured him as if he had read Hisoka’s thoughts.

 

“Relax, it’s not a trap. I’m the one who got trapped.”

“What do you mean?”

“My target’s bodyguard was a Specialist. He could make a younger copy of a person based on his or her memory. The target was killed but that guard escaped, and I brought this copy here because I couldn’t just leave the living body of my biological information in that building.”

 

He pointed at the second Illumi who had shorter hair and a younger face. Hisoka observed him with interest. It looked exactly same with the picture of young Illumi which his boyfriend once showed him, but much livelier. While the stark contrast of black hair and porcelain skin had never changed, the way a shortened hairstyle exposed its smooth nape was kind of cute. Unlike now it was wearing plain clothes—black turtleneck and jeans—like a normal kid, but its wide eyes revealed a bottomless darkness that no child should ever possess. The younger Illumi wrinkled its nose in irritation as Hisoka stared it up and down with an amused smile. He could not help but snicker at its more expressive reaction.

 

“So should I guess which one is real? Usually I just kill them both, but this time it seems that won’t be an option.”

 

Now the adult one knitted brow.

 

“Don’t you believe me? I’m real and this is merely another person’s nen.”

“Oh, I was waiting for that cliché.”

 

Illumi rolled his eyes and loosened his collar. Hisoka could recognize several swollen bites under that clavicle, the hickeys he himself left last night.

 

The magician shrugged.

 

“If this _hatsu_ was created based on memory then surely it could have been copied those as well. You don’t act like yourself today, Illumi. Or are you maybe…”

“Should I fuck you on this floor right now to make you believe?”

 

Hisoka raised a hand at Illumi’s slight hint of irritation.

 

“I’m joking. Of course I immediately figured it out.” Taking Illumi’s offer wouldn’t be so bad though.

 

The younger Illumi was now looking back and forth at Hisoka and Illumi. Considering the way its frown got deeper, it probably understood what their relationship was.

 

“Is it okay to leave this Illumi like this? Knowing you, I’m surprised you did not lock it up or chain it already.”

“It seems like that nen user cannot manipulate the copy he created. So this is simply a lump of nen with my looks and personalities. It did not display any hostile sign against me for past few hours so I decided that it’s not dangerous, for now. I already contacted butlers to bring it to Zoldyck lab. They will come in tomorrow afternoon.”

“Do you think it will suddenly turn into a time bomb?”

“We thoroughly investigated it to ensure its safety before coming here, so no worries.”

“That’s no fun.”

 

Hisoka clicked his tongue and turned to the younger Illumi.

 

“By the way, how old are you?”

 

The kid was too busy to tug his bangs that it belatedly realized Hisoka was speaking to it. It looked at Hisoka, and Illumi stared it with an anew interest as well. The assassin scrutinized the reflection of his previous self and, in a blink of an eye, he pulled up its shirt. Hisoka whistled softly at the sudden exposure of boy’s bare chest and abs. He honestly didn’t expect that much muscle from that quiet kid. Nen-made Illumi revealed its claws in surprise but managed to stop itself from attacking the original. A wise decision, because if it tried the older Illumi would have destroyed it at breakneck speed.

 

Illumi pulled the shirts back after seeing a large burnt scar over its right chest.

 

“Considering that scar is still present, it’s fifteen years old.”

“You know, you could have asked.” _Was it really necessary to see under its shirts like that?_

 

Illumi answered the magician’s unsaid question.

 

“We Zoldycks rarely disclose personal information. This way is much faster than making it talk.”

 

 _You just disclosed it to me._ Hisoka wanted to point that irony out but decided not to. Instead he asked,

 

“Even if the person you tell is your own self?”

“I used to be quite hardheaded.”

“What do you mean ‘used to’?”

 

Before Illumi could respond to that, Hisoka quickly picked up the groceries and went into the kitchen. He called over his shoulder.

 

“Just to be sure, were you a vegetarian when you were fifteen?”

 

 

*   *   *

 

 

The two adults prepared their dinner. Illumi mixed a bowl of Caesar salad and put down the cutleries on the table while Hisoka cooked the steak. Sitting on the sofa, the nen-made kid observed Illumi with a half incredulous and half displeased look.

_Surprised to see the noble Zoldyck doing house chores?_ Hisoka smiled as he remembered the time they started living together. Growing up from the house full of butlers, the assassin matter-of-coursely assumed that Hisoka would do all the chores from A to Z. Eventually Hisoka reached his limit, and Illumi’s suggestion to hire some of his family servants as housekeepers (Illumi adamantly refused to let nobody but Zoldyck butlers to work in their house for security reason) only worsened his frustration.

 

Hisoka could not take his eyes off from the young Illumi during the whole dinnertime. Its behaviors were too realistic and natural to be considered a formulated nen. It digested the food like an actual person, exhibited flawless table manners and, most importantly, still kept some remains of youthful immatureness in which the real Illumi disposed of a decade ago. Such difference actually made it seem more human than its original. Therefore, to Hisoka, the boy was just too cute to be true. The only reason he restrained himself from pulling its milky cheek with bungee gum or forever stroking its soft hair or comparing the size of their hands was because Illumi across from him was keeping an eye on his every movement.

 

Hisoka tried several tricks on young Illumi to acquire some childhood stories of the Zoldycks, but its mouth was sealed even harder than the current one’s. _He really_ was _hardheaded when younger,_ Hisoka mused, once again being surprised by the quality of unknown bodyguard’s _hatsu_. Whoever created the boy must be quite talented, for it is rare to see nen as exquisite as this.

 

After they finished, Illumi wanted to take shower as Hisoka clean the table up. But Illumi also wanted to take young Illumi with him because, to quote him, ‘just in case’. As a teenager who hit the puberty, the nen-made boy reasonably resisted.

 

“In case of _what_?” The boy demanded. Illumi didn’t answer.

 

As they continue their silent scuffle Hisoka finished the dishes and came back to living room. He sided with young Illumi. The adult assassin protested but gave up eventually. Still, he left Hisoka a last warning before closing the bathroom door.

 

“Don’t’ try anything funny, Hisoka. That _hatsu_ is fifteen.”

 

Hisoka was shocked by the fact that Illumi ever thought of him like that. _Does he really think I would ever commit such behavior?_ _To a minor?_ So he kept his distance away from the kid and looked back on what kinds of things he said and did in front of Illumi in the past. After about five minutes, Hisoka had to admit that Illumi’s mistrust was sensible.

 

He pulled a long face and threw trump cards toward the wall, only to bring them back right before they hit it. After a few times he noticed that the young Illumi was watching him.

 

“Surprised?”

“What is that?”

“Magic♡”

 

Hisoka winked to the boy’s monotone face.

 

“I mean that pink nen, the one that stretches out like a rubber. What kind of _hatsu_ is that?”

“Are you able to use _gyo_?”

“Obviously.”

 

The young Illumi stared him, waiting for answer, so Hisoka connected his two index fingers with nen and stretched out to let the boy have a better look at it.

 

“It’s called bungee gum, which has the properties of both rubber and gum♡ It can stick to anywhere and can be stretched or shrunk as I want.”

 

The boy focused on Hisoka’s use of bungee gum, but his stare was more like a look of detective who studies a suspect rather than an interest toward a new finding. The adult Illumi also wore such expression when he concentrated on something. How cute they are. Hisoka heard a door opening as he savors this unexpected opportunity of witnessing Illumi’s childhood.

 

With towel on his shoulder, Illumi walked out and shot a suspicious glare to Hisoka, whose face was just 5 inches away from the teenager’s. Hisoka held up his hands to prove his innocence.

 

“Illumi, do you really think I would lay a hand on a fifteen-year old?”

“You live-broadcasted your erection in front of my twelve-year old brother and told my ten-year brother that he looked delicious. If they were not a Zoldyck, they would have sued you a long time ago.”

 

Hearing that, the young Illumi scowled at Hisoka with much more hostility, which gave Hisoka an exciting shiver. The boy then turned to Illumi to give a disappointing and reproaching look. _Why are you dating this guy?_ Illumi plainly met its eyes. _You will know when you grow up._

 

As soon as Hisoka turned water on in the bathroom, the replica pulled the original’s sleeve.

 

“What?”

“I know that man.”

 

Illumi wrinkled his brow.

 

“What are you talking about? I met him two years ago.”

“You didn’t.”

 

The boy declared and stared him suspiciously, again.

 

“Did you possibly hurt your head when growing up? Because, if you let a person like him accompany you while leaving your family behind, then something seriously went wrong with you.”

“Watch your mouth. And you are not me.”

 

The pointed end of needle was already right in front of the boy’s pupil. It didn’t even blink an eye.

 

“He broke into Zoldyck manor once, don’t you remember?”

 

Illumi paused. Each year, hundreds of people come to their house to challenge the Zoldycks and one or two may actually manage to enter their territory. Most of them were immediately disposed by apprentice butlers but, very rarely, a survived few reached the manor. However, Hisoka was never one of them.

 

The assassin decided to discard the theory that this nen-lump was created based on his memory. It obviously had a falsified one. It’s best to get rid of it before it says more gibberish. When Illumi gripped his needle tightly, the _hatsu_ spoke again.

 

“You saw it when you woke up in the middle of the night. You may not remember it because 11 years have passed, but to me it was just several days ago so I remember it clearly. A person threaded his way through the yard with an elastic pink nen. He even saw me in the eye when I looked out from the window. He didn't made to the actual house though-he only reached the yard and that was it. He just went back. I was still sleepy, and no invaders were spotted when I questioned butlers the next morning, so I thought it was just a dream. But when I saw that guy’s aura I knew it was him. He was the one who invaded our manor that night.”

 

The confidence in its voice stopped Illumi. Illumi retraced his memory with his hand still on the needle. It might have happened… but the memory was so vague that it could as well be an imagination caused by the boy’s words.

 

“That’s ridiculous. I couldn’t have not known if somebody actually broke into our yard. There should have been reports about that.”

“You could have just forgotten about it—even I considered it as a dream before meeting him. Also, the butlers didn’t know, which explains the absence of reports. I myself checked for it in the next morning and found nothing. It’s hard to believe, but that man slipped in and out of our house without being caught.”

 

Illumi disregarded the fact it again referred the Zoldyck manor as ‘their’ house. He thought for a moment, and decided to check whether it really told the truth. So he flicked his finger. When fifteen-year old Illumi realized what just happened, the needle was already stuck deep inside its neck. Its whole body immediately went stiff. As it slumped down to the sofa, Illumi stamped straight to the bathroom and opened the door. Hisoka greeted him surprisingly, waterdrops dripping from crimson hair.

 

“Wow, without even a knock? Maybe you finally want to shower together?”

 

Illumi turned off the water and asked forthright.

 

“Have you ever broken into our territory?”

“Huh?”

“Did you or did you not break into the Zoldyck manor 11 years ago, in the middle of the night? Not just beyond the testing gate; I mean into the boundary of our actual residence.”

 

Illumi’s tone was serious, for it was a family-related matter. Hisoka purred as he searched for the memory. He would probably not remember a thing even if he did enter that territory but he could at least try, for Illumi. If it’s as difficult as trespassing the Zoldyck manor then he may be able to remember some.

 

“I don’t really remember. I will tell you when I do, though.”

“If you forgot it then you will never remember it again.”

 

Illumi exhaled a sigh. A hint of annoyance flashed across his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was fooled by a nen-made materialization. It’d be best to just leave it there until the butlers come to take it. As he turned, Hisoka stopped him.

 

“Wait, you are going?”

“Of course.”

 

Illumi looked back and belatedly understood when he saw the smirk on Hisoka’s lips.

 

“A kid is right outside, Hisoka.”

“You said it’s just a lump of nen.”

“A lump of nen that is fifteen-year old. We won’t do anything as long as it is under our roof.”

 

Hisoka shrugged at Illumi’s determination and let him go. However, not without a brief kiss at the last moment. Illumi pushed him and wiped wet lips with the back of his hand as he left.

 

.

 

After he finished the shower, Hisoka incessantly begged Illumi to take the needle out of the boy, saying it’s too pitiful to watch.

 

“That’s just a chunk of nen.”

“Fifteen-year old chunk of nen, you said! It’s practically a newborn, Illumi, please?”

 

Of course, everything Hisoka said was a bullshit. This clown just wanted to play with a new toy, a younger version of one of his favorite toys. And he preferred his toy being moving and talking rather than remaining stiff like a log. Hisoka continued to plead him, using as much charms as possible, while Illumi packed his bag for tomorrow. So Illumi finally gave in and plucked out the needle.

 

As soon as it regained his freedom, the boy moved closer to Illumi and tightened its guard against Hisoka. It was more wary of Hisoka—who was showing an immense interest toward it—than the person who suddenly attacked it. Illumi recognized that it inherited his sharp judgment. Maybe the boy was indeed his copy after all.

 

Illumi pushed the boy off from his clothes and went over to the table in the corner of living room. He opened the files Milluki sent and started reading. Sure, he could go to a quieter place, but he was still a little doubtful that Hisoka might try or say something inappropriate to the nen-made kid. Nen or not, the boy had a body and memory of a fifteen-year old. If the clown would ever say a thing about unripe fruits or how ‘delicious’ it looks… Illumi would immediately take the boy with him and lock the bedroom door. When Illumi does that, Hisoka was not allowed to sleep in the guest room (it’s too light for a punishment, but that’s their one of a few rules anyway). So Hisoka would have to spend the night in couch and wake up with aching shoulder and back.

 

Despite Illumi’s worries, Hisoka treated the young Illumi in a surprisingly normal manner. He smiled so heartwarmingly that one might think of him as the boy’s uncle. _He never showed such face, even to me_ , Illumi halfheartedly mused.

 

Of course the young Illumi looked very uncomfortable and never lowered its guard. Well, Hisoka wouldn’t be Hisoka if he gave a damn about other people’s discomfort.

 

“Bangs look good on you. Doesn’t it bother you though? It sure would block your vision when you move fast.”

“You have bangs as well.”

“I usually comb them back. You saw it hours ago when I came into the house♡”

“…I don’t like your way of talking. It’s creepy.”

“Your way of talking is cute♡”

 

The conversation sounded too real. Illumi felt that if a 15-year old of himself were actually here, he would have the exactly same dialogue with Hisoka. It felt… strange, so he tried to focus on work. He could always pick on an appropriate word anyway.

 

After a few minutes of concentration, Illumi suddenly realized that they had been quiet for some time and raised his head. Hisoka was staring at the boy’s face with one hand covering half of his vision.

 

“Hisoka?”

 

Illumi hesitantly called him and the magician turned.

 

“Illumi, I think I remember it now.”

“Remember what?”

“That I trespassed the Zoldyck mansion.”

 

Illumi turned off his laptop and stood up.

 

“What are you talking about?”

“As I look at this child’s face, the memory came back. I vaguely remember your younger face looking outside from the window, hiding behind the curtain. Wow, I never thought I’d actually manage to remember it.”

 

Illumi sat beside Hisoka, frowning.

 

“Hisoka, if you are pulling one of your taunts again…”

“No, dear, I’m not. Hear me out. When you were fifteen, the color of curtain in your room was dark green, right? And didn’t you also have violet-colored pajamas with collar? I think you were wearing them at that night.”

 

Illumi gave a suspicious look.

 

“That’s a very detailed memory, especially for a person like you. And people have tendency to add unnecessary details when they are making up the stories.”

“That’s because I found you cute even then. I rarely forget a person who’s my type.”

 

 _You have forgotten it until a minute ago._ Illumi rolled his eyes and thought about what Hisoka said. He couldn’t just believe it. There are two types of liars: one lies for certain reason and the other lies for no reason. Hisoka was the latter. Also, the evidence he gave was far from convincing.

 

Illumi nodded his head to the young Illumi.

 

“You could just have heard about the interior of my room and my sleeping clothes from this one when I was showering in the…”

 

Hisoka gave out a tired laugh and threw his hands in the air.

 

“Whatever, you don’t need to believe it if you don’t want, then. How we first met doesn’t matter anyway.”

“It’s not that I don’t’ want to believe it. The evidence is just not enough.”

“Forget it, Illumi. Let’s pretend we never heard about it at all. As far as we know, we first met right before the Hunter exam.”

 

A silence filled the room. Illumi was annoyed at first, but after a moment he realized that this is one of the consequential changes from their developed relationship. In earlier days, Hisoka never showed any frustration or irritation; not even a hint. Instead, he always wore his characteristic smirk and kept up with Illumi’s temper.

 

But now Hisoka expressed his feeling more freely. To other’s eyes it could be viewed as him being rude, getting too comfortable in long-term relationship that he forgets his manner—but it wasn’t like that. It meant that Hisoka trusted Illumi. It meant that Hisoka started to believe Illumi wouldn’t leave him even if he stopped meeting Illumi’s every whim. Conscious or not, the redhead now considered their relationship strong enough to handle trivial disagreements or more serious conflicts.

 

Just like an ordinary old couple.

 

Pondering on a new discovery, Illumi decided to settle this minor discord.

 

“All right, I’ll believe it.”

 

He held the magician’s large hand and brushed its back lightly, his way of saying sorry. Hisoka glanced him for a moment before giving a chuckle and a kiss on his cheek. The young Illumi, who was sitting beside them, wore an expression of 7-year old who just witnessed their parents’ French-kissing.

 

But one thing still bothered Illumi.

 

“How old were you at that time?”

 

Hisoka smiled with wrinkles in his nose.

 

“You should really give up. You will never know how old I am, Illumi. But I can tell you that I was a teenager when I invaded your precious yard.”

 

Illumi rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Are you sure nobody caught you? That’s just not possible…”

“But it was, my dear.”

“I simply can’t believe the Zoldyck defense was destabilized by a single teenager."

“A weakened guard, to be exact. We just lost more than half of butlers at that time, and father and grandfather rarely visited home due to their work. We had many loopholes back then.”

 

The young Illumi interrupted, wanting to maintain Zoldyck’s honor. _Keep trying, you will still be a nen doll._ Illumi thought sarcastically.

 

“Still it was a dishonor to our family name. I will have to examine the circumstances when I go back and strengthen the guard.”

 

 _If Hisoka’s words were true_ , Illumi added in his head. He still did not believe the magician completely but Hisoka was not the only one who could pull off a brazen lie. Of course Hisoka had seen through that façade but at least Illumi conceded a point to him in their current argument, and the magician accepted that gesture.

 

Hisoka’s lips curved as a hand snaked around Illumi’s shoulder.

 

“Don’t be so ruthless to your butlers. I was just too strong for them.”

“All the credit should go to the bad timing. You are not so strong as to display such bragging.”

“You’re mean.”

 

The redhead nuzzled his cheek, and the young Illumi looked at them like they are a pair of cockroaches or something. Illumi gently (at least to the Zoldyck standard) pushed Hisoka off and stood up with the boy.

 

Hisoka raised an eyebrow.

 

“Where are you going?”

“To bed. It’s already midnight.”

“Right, it’s time for children to go to sleep.”

 

He felt up Illumi’s slim waist in order to insinuate a deeper meaning in a seemingly normal remark. Illumi shook that hand off, a little too harshly. The magician did not miss a slight but satisfying twitch on the teen’s lips.

 

“It’s time for adults to go to sleep as well. You should go to the bedroom, too.”

“How about you?”

“This one and I will sleep in the guest room. It has two beds.”

 

Illumi was prepared to take their bedroom instead and lock its door if Hisoka ever say a word about three of them sharing a room, but Hisoka accepted his allotment in surprisingly obedient manner. He stood up and walked to the said room. However, he couldn’t help but make a remark to the assassin right before he closed the door.

 

“Don’t’ try anything funny, Illumi. That _hatsu_ is fifteen.”

 

Three needles missed Hisoka’s eyes by a hair. Illumi grunted at the needles that were stuck head-deep in the thick door before grabbing the boy’s hand. As they walk, the young Illumi again asked him through its eyes. _Seriously, why are you dating that guy?_

 

Illumi returned the stare as a response. _What do you know of adult life, you are just a kid. Shut up and go to sleep._

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic in non-English first, then decided to translate it and upload in AO3. Therefore, you may find some awkward grammar or word choices.  
> Beta readers are always welcome, as well as kudos and comments. They will make my day.


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